Access to Kansas Open Records
Your Right To Request Public Records Under The Kansas Open Records Act,
K.S.A. 45-215 et seq.
- You have the right to inspect and obtain
copies of public records that the Kansas
Department on Aging ( KDOA) maintains which
are not otherwise exempt from disclosure
by a specific law.
- KDOA 's Freedom of Information Officer,
or designee, is available to assist you
in following the polices and procedures
necessary to obtain access to or copies
of the public records you want.
- Your request for public records must
be in writing. KDOA can provide you with
a form to assist you in making your request.
- You will be charged a reasonable fee,
not exceeding actual cost, for the staff
time required in processing your request
and a reasonable fee for copying. An additional
charge will be assessed for supervision,
faxing, and computer searches. KDOA requires
payment prior to any records being made
available to the requester. The fee schedule
is listed below.
- You cannot remove original copies of
public records from KDOA.
- Your request for public records will
be acted on by the end of the third business
day from when your written request was
received. If it takes longer than three
business days, you will be notified by
KDOA.
- You can bring a private lawsuit or file
a complaint with the Kansas Attorney General's
Office if you feel you are wrongfully denied
records.
KDOA's Responsibilities
- You may consult with KDOA's Freedom
of Information Officer to determine if
the record you need exists or is available.
Be prepared to provide a specific description
of the records you seek.
- The Kansas Open Records Act ( KORA)
does not require KDOA to answer questions
or prepare reports. KDOA is only required
to provide public records that already
exist. There is no requirement for KDOA
to create a record at your request.
- If KDOA takes longer than three business
days to act on your request, you will receive
notice from KDOA explaining that it will
take additional time to produce the records.
Reasons for additional time may include,
but are not limited to, voluminous records,
complicated request parameters, unresolved
legal issues, or difficulty in accessing
archived records.
- Your request may be denied in whole
or in part. If the request is denied, KDOA
will identify generally the records denied,
and the specific legal authority for the
denial.
KDOA's Fee Schedule
- Search fee
$2.50 per quarter hour
- Supervision or File Review
Oversight fee: $2.50 per quarter hour
- Copying fee
$0.25 per page (8.5" x 11")
$0.25 per page (8.5" x 14")
- KDOA Computer Searches
For programming $25.00 per hour per programmer
For pre-existing programming $15.00 per hour per
programmer
What Records are Available?
Most records maintained by public entities
are open for public inspection and copying.
Records commonly requested include, but are
not limited to:
- Statutes
- Regulations
- Policies
- Minutes of open meetings
- Salaries of public officials
- Agency budget documents
Exceptions to the Kansas Open Records Act
The KORA recognizes that certain records
contain private or privileged information.
The KORA lists several exceptions including,
but not limited to, the following:
- Personnel information of public employees
- Medical treatment records
- Records protected by the attorney-client
privilege
- Records closed by the rules of evidence
- Records containing personal information
compiled for Census purposes
- Notes and preliminary drafts
- Criminal investigations
A list of additional exceptions can be
found at K.S.A. 45-221
How to Request a Public Record
You can obtain access to KDOA public records
by contacting the Freedom of Information
Officer at 1-800-432-3535 to determine if
the record you need exists or is available.
You will be asked to submit your request
in writing. Please be as specific as possible
in describing the public records you want.
KDOA can send you a form to assist you in
making your request.
Send your written request to:
KDOA Freedom of Information Officer
Kansas Department on Aging
503 S. Kansas Ave.
Topeka , KS 66603 -3404
You can fax your request to 785-296-0767
Additional information can be obtained
on the Internet at: http://www.ksag.org/content/page/id/141.
Your Responsibilities upon Receipt of a
Public Record
Except for the limited purposes set forth
in K.S.A.
45-230(a) (1) through (a)(6), a person
receiving public records may not:
- Knowingly sell, give or receive, for
the purpose of selling or offering for
sale any property or service to persons
listed therein, any list of names and
addresses contained in or derived from
public records contained on this site;
and
- Use any information obtained from
this site for any unlawful purpose (civil
or criminal) whatsoever.
In the event a person receiving public
records knowingly violates one or more provisions
of K.S.A. 45-230, he or she may be liable
for the payment of a civil penalty in an
action brought by the attorney general, county
or district attorney in a sum set by the
court not to exceed $500 for each violation,
and such other penalties as provided for
by law.
To obtain the full text of K.S.A. 45-230, Click
here.